The Perfect Reunion
by TheChemistJorax
Summary: Miranda wanted to hit the woman, no way was it going to be her responsibility to bring up the past, was it? Feelings were Shepard's forte, not hers. Sequel to The Perfect Woman
1. Chapter 1

A/N: *sigh* you guys have spoiled me.

For any newcomers, this is a sequel. For returning customers, welcome back. Let's roll.

* * *

Slowly, things were beginning to change. A sense of unease had begun to permeate throughout the worlds of the universe. Reapers had shown up on Earth; that was the topic of choice for those prone to gossip these days. Even the less populated planets, ones out of the way and rarely visited, were covered in whispers of the dark times ahead.

Miranda Lawson knew this because in the last few weeks she felt as though she had been to every one. Oriana was missing, their already spotty correspondence had gone dark, and she was the only person who could help. Of course, her gut reaction was to point fingers at the Illusive Man, but there was this gnawing feeling deep down that something far more sinister was going on.

And so, while the threat of the Reapers loomed ever on the horizon, Miranda found herself scrambling along the backwater countryside of the galaxy, searching for the only person she had left. On the bad days, she was meeting in shady back alleys with even shadier characters for most likely unreliable information. On the good days, she lay curled up on the bed of a dingy hotel room, stomach growling and heart aching.

It wasn't until she had returned to the Citadel that she had finally heard word on what she was so desperately trying to convince herself she didn't care about. Miranda had caught the bit of information as she was traveling through one of the rapidly growing refugee camps. An old human was speaking about it to his young charge, a glimmer of renewed hope in both their eyes.

Commander Shepard, savior of the Citadel, was back aboard the Normandy and meeting with the Turian Primarch to strike an alliance that was going to save every world.

* * *

**Shepard,**

** I'm glad to see you've finally been released. I don't know what the Alliance has planned, but**

*Message deleted*

**Jane,**

** I'm still not sure exactly what happened on Earth, but you have made it pretty clear that**

*Message deleted*

**Shepard,**

** I'm not sure where we stand, but I want you to know**

*Message deleted*

**Shepard,**

** I hear you're aboard the Normandy again. If you have the time and want to talk, I'll be at the Citadel for a few days, near Docking Bay D24. **

*Message sent*

* * *

There was an unsettling flurry of emotions scrambling about her insides as Miranda waited around the docking bay. She was anxious about possibly being stood up, angry with herself for being so willing to stand out here in public while Cerberus assassins were hunting her down, furious with the commander for going dark for just about six months without so much as one word, and oh god was she excited to see Shepard's face again.

Everything disappeared when she saw the Normandy slowly pull in to dock, her mind seemed to go blank, and she wanted to kick herself for having no idea what she wanted to say. So much for Miranda Lawson always having a plan.

Garrus, and a man Miranda didn't recognize were the first to exit the ship, clearly deeply engrossed in conversation and headed toward a specific location. Joker was the next to depart, arm in arm with some sort of mech? Her interest in that development waned immediately though, as Shepard was the next person to step out into the crowded room, surveying the area with tired eyes.

It wasn't long before she caught sight of Miranda, leaning on the railing next to the window in a way that she hoped looked casual. As Shepard approached, pushing through the chattering crowd, Miranda tried to find the perfect words to express everything that had been welling up inside of her those past few months. Of course, as always, nothing even remotely close came out.

"Shepard, it's so good to finally see you again."

She clammed up in embarrassment, realizing it had come out sounding quite suggestive. Shepard didn't seem to notice however and nodded, "You too, Miranda."

Miranda resisted the urge to hit the woman, no way was it going to be her responsibility to bring up the past, was it? Feelings were Shepard's forte, not hers. She wondered if that was on the commander's mind at all, or if she had genuinely come to hear something else she thought Miranda had to say.

In the silence that followed, Miranda tried to come up with something else, something that would steer the conversation in the right direction, but allow her to get out of saying anything too expressive.

Finally she settled for speaking as nonchalantly as possible, "I couldn't get anywhere near you when the Alliance had you locked up." There was an unspoken question in the statement, and to distract herself from what Miranda was sure was going to be a frustratingly evasive reply, she began to walk slowly to another corner of the room.

Shepard followed without question, "Relieved of duty, it was complicated."

This time, Miranda wanted her annoyance to ring through in her words, "I'm sure it was."

Shepard seemed unfazed though, and so Miranda continued begrudgingly, "I'm surprised they didn't court martial you, the Alliance isn't known for its flexibility."

"It doesn't matter now," Shepard responded flatly.

Miranda flinched with a twinge of guilt, she was being selfish. There was too much going on in this galaxy, and in Shepard's mind, without her petty attitude adding to the troubles.

She took a deep breath and reminded herself of what was truly important, "Shepard, about Earth…"

Shepard turned away from her, "Countless people lost their lives within minutes, the Reapers are everything we've feared."

Miranda stood still, fighting the urge to run to the woman who seemed so broken, "They should have listened to you a long time ago."

She settled for taking a few steps closer, "I'm sorry, Shepard."

It felt like a worthless offering, but there was nothing else to say. Shepard turned to face her slowly, truly taking Miranda in for the first time since they had met up.

She seemed almost smaller somehow, and not just due to the fact that she was clearly not getting enough to eat and looked borderline unhealthy weight wise. It was something in her eyes that was missing, that glint of confidence that the crew used to complain about behind her back. She felt so fragile now, a delicate girl, used to experiencing nothing but fear and rejection.

Shepard swallowed hard at the sight of her, hating herself for leading Miranda into falling so far from grace, and then being forced to disappear without so much as a backward glance. She was surprised the woman didn't seem furious with her, as she had every right to be.

"What about you?" Shepard finally offered lamely, "What brings you here?"

Miranda sighed and kept walking forward past Shepard, it wasn't good to stand in one place for too long, "I need to talk with a few people, like you. The Citadel is a good place to meet," She hesitated, "for now. What's the Alliance's next move?"

Shepard fell into step with her easily, as though she had never left Miranda's side all that time ago, "We have a plan, it's a long shot."

Miranda scoffed, as she turned to face Shepard once again, "Not surprising."

She paused; looking off to the side, wishing Shepard would just say the words she wanted to hear. This was ridiculous, there was no reason to focus on themselves at a time like this, and yet Miranda reluctantly accepted that it was the only thing she could bring herself to focus on.

And yet Shepard stood before her, understandably distracted, clearly not picking up on Miranda's unease. It was becoming quite apparent that if Miranda wasn't the first to broach the topic, it wouldn't be brought up at all. She would have to swallow her pride, break through her inhibitions, and do it herself.

**_Shepard had better be worth it._**

Miranda tried to catch Shepard's confused gaze, but as soon as she did, dropped it and focused on the wall to her right. She was being foolish, Shepard had moved on, had more important things to be doing. Miranda was just wasting her time, unable to let go of the past, and making an ass out of herself.

**_But you have to try._**

"Shepard," She hesitated, glancing over at Shepard just to pull her gaze away quickly once again, "am I… still part of your plan? It's been so long…I wasn't sure where we stood."

Her entire body flushed with hot embarrassment as soon as she spoke the words, and she immediately wanted to disappear into herself. This was stupid, she was an idiot, this wasn't the time-

**_Is she laughing at me?_**

Miranda had focused back on Shepard to find that the commander was indeed biting back a mischievous grin, a playful light in her eyes that she hadn't realized she missed.

"Oh my god, Miranda, are you serious?"

Miranda felt her cheeks beginning to heat up and she tried to turn away, looking for some sort of escape, but Shepard caught her arm.

"Wait, _are_ you serious?" She sounded genuinely surprised now.

When Miranda didn't meet her eyes, Shepard shook her head slowly, and took the woman's hands in her own, "Miranda, don't be so ridiculous. Clearly things are never going to be easy for us, but I don't know how I've left any doubt about the fact I'll always want you in my life."

Before Miranda had a chance to respond, Shepard had gently pulled her closer, planting a quick kiss to her lips. It was over in an instant, but after so long, Miranda felt herself being rejuvenated at the simple gesture.

"I just thought we were playing it cool," Shepard finished with a smirk, "what with your revulsion concerning PDA and the fact that any sort of actual human emotion being expressed sends you spiraling into a frantic state for days."

For the second time that day, it took everything Miranda had not to smack Shepard across her smug little face.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Haha I know FloridaMagpie, I just try not to dwell on things like this for too long. Whenever I do I end up becoming crippled with anxiety and self consciousness and end up deleting everything. Best to just dive right in, eh? :)

Anywho, thanks as always, and onwards we go.

* * *

Miranda's eyes were darting around the room constantly while they sat together on one of the many cushioned benches lining the walls of the docking bay. It was worrying Shepard a bit, but she made no mention of it. Whatever Miranda was going through, she'd hear when the woman was ready to share it.

In the meantime, Miranda wanted to be brought up to speed on the goings on of the war effort. Shepard was surprised with how out of touch she seemed to be, it was as if she hadn't been keeping up with any sort of news program at all.

Miranda was happy Garrus had shown up when he did for Shepard, it sounded like she needed some more friendly faces around the ship. The war was just beginning and already it was taking a visible toll on the woman. It would be nice if the fate of the galaxy could be placed on someone else's shoulders for a change.

As Shepard revealed more about what happened on their latest mission, Miranda's mind wandered off a bit. She couldn't help thinking about the Crucible she had just been informed of, oh how the scientist in her wanted to get a hold of those plans. No, she had to focus on Oriana first, the Alliance had plenty of capable men and women for the job, she had to believe that.

"And now," Shepard said with a heavy sigh, dragging Miranda's focus back to her words, "I've gotta figure out how to deal with the Krogan."

Miranda hesitated, and then put a hand on Shepard's knee in what she hoped was a comforting gesture, "When last we visited, Wrex had a lot of pull with the Krogans, Shepard. He'll be good to you."

The commander smiled at her, "Yeah, you're right. Speaking of people being good to me…" That mischievous light was back in her eyes, "You didn't try to contact me when I was back on Earth?"

Miranda rolled her eyes, "A visit by the former Cerberus second-in-command would have been disastrous. Any kind of secret communication would have looked even worse."

Though she remained composed on the outside, Shepard was desperately fighting back a teasing grin. Clearly Miranda had put a lot of thought into this.

"I was tempted to break in and see you."

Shepard leaned forward in her seat, surprised by the confession, "That would have been...tough to explain."

Miranda smirked, "Right, fun and games until they had arrested me, or just shot me on sight."

Shepard laughed. It was starting to feel natural again, sitting there, talking with Miranda. There was a hint of that old comfort they had once shared, a nuance of all those nights spent whispering together under the covers.

Feeling more at ease with Shepard now that she hadn't been rejected or dismissed, Miranda tried to push herself farther. She wanted to be better for the woman, not always acting like an emotionally stunted wreck.

"It was hard to be away from you," She started slowly, shifting nervously in her seat, "surprised myself, how," she hesitated, eyes falling to the floor, "_attached _I got. I'm…I'm not good at attached."

Shepard almost felt guilty sitting there, listening to that admission. It was common knowledge Miranda wasn't good with this sort of thing, and as much as she teased her, Shepard didn't need her to be. Miranda had always let her feelings be known in her own roundabout way, she didn't want her to feel as though she was expected to force herself to divulge things now. She was clearly uncomfortable, and as nice as it was to hear, there was no need for it.

"Just stay close from now on," Shepard cut in quickly, "alright?"

Miranda turned her head away in response, "I wish I could, I really do," She paused for a moment, clearly choosing her words carefully, "but there is something I need to deal with."

On the edge of her seat in an instant, Shepard collected Miranda's hands in her own to force the woman to refocus on her, "What is it?"

"It's nothing."

"Miranda," Shepard responded, clearly frustrated, "please."

With shake of her head, Miranda reluctantly began to speak, "I haven't heard from my sister, Oriana, for awhile. I'm getting worried."

"Your sister?" Shepard knew she should have been less surprised than she was, If somebody had a grudge against Miranda, going after Oriana was certainly the way to go about it.

"Yes. I don't want to overreact yet, but," she wavered slightly, "well there's a lot going on."

Shepard shook her head, confused, "I thought we made sure she was safe?"

"We did," Miranda assured her, "It's probably nothing, but I just know my father is involved."

"What happened?" Shepard pressed.

"I don't know, everything I had in place to make sure she was safe went dark."

Miranda might have a feeling about her father, but Shepard could smell the Illusive Man all over this. Her eyes narrowed as her resolve hardened, and she gripped Miranda's hands a bit tighter, "What do you need from me?"

With a small smile Miranda replied, "I knew you would want to help, and I'm grateful, but you have your hands full." Noticing the somewhat hurt look on the commander's face, she added quickly, "If I need a door or two kicked down I know just who to call, but for now, I'll be fine."

Shepard gave her a hard look, and then relented, "Okay, if that's the way you want it, I understand."

* * *

Miranda was vaguely aware that all too much time was passing as they spoke, but she pushed the thought to the back of her mind. It felt so good to let everything out that had been building up inside her for those past months. She had nearly half a year of events to fill Shepard in on, and she was going to fit in as much as she could, leaving out the less than glamorous parts of course. There were some things that might have upset Shepard, both that Miranda had done and that had been done to Miranda, but she skillfully omitted them from her tale with ease.

After so long of having not a single person to confide in, it was a relief to be able to dump it all upon the one person who had her complete trust. Miranda began to feel slightly self-conscious after a time, embarrassed to have been speaking only of herself for so long, but Shepard's warm and intent stare drove her to carry on.

She was somewhat annoyed at the pleasure she felt when she spoke of her encounter with the Illusive Man and Shepard's immediate reaction was a defensive one. It was odd to slip into her old ways again, but something about being with Shepard forced Miranda to do so. The commander had always been a calming presence, yes, but she also felt safe for the first time in a long time. There could be Cerberus assassins closing in on her at this very moment, but it didn't matter, Shepard had her back.

It wasn't long after that that familiar faces began filing into the room, the Normandy's crew was headed back to where she was docked. Shepard bit back a groan, and tried her best to smile for her companion, "Looks like I've gotta get back to it."

All Miranda could muster in response was a small grimace, "And I should get out of sight."

They both stood and faced each other, each unsure of how they should part.

"You sure you can't join us? I know I could help you, Miranda, please."

With a shake of her head, Miranda took a step back, "You've got Reapers to fight, Shepard, a galaxy to save. My personal problems can't get in the way of that, for all our sakes."

Shepard looked away, clearly unhappy, "fine."

Miranda sighed and they stood in silence for a few moments before Shepard's omni tool started blinking. She rolled her eyes and quickly shut it off, "I have to go, just," She faltered, "take care of yourself, Miranda. Be careful."

"No promises," was the only reply she received before Miranda had walked past her quickly.

Shepard panicked for a moment at the sight of her retreating form, and couldn't stop herself from calling out, "wait!"

Miranda turned to look at her, clearly confused, and anxious to get out of sight.

"It's just," Shepard paused, rubbing the back of her neck in embarrassment, "I uh," she let out a nervous laugh, "when's your birthday?"

Eyes wide with shock, Miranda realized that somewhere along the line she had forgotten that unfulfilled promise from so long ago. She didn't answer right away, trying to give herself time to sort out what she wanted to say. It was such a silly thing, something she didn't care about, what did it matter? She knew roughly how many years she had been in existence, why did she need a precise date?

Finally, she let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding, "I don't have one, Shepard, not really."

Looking thoughtful, Shepard nodded her head vigorously, "thought as much."

Miranda gave her an odd look for a moment, before offering a small wave and disappearing into the crowd.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Some more game dialogue this chapter, but I moved some things around and cut out a bit from what Shepard says, sometimes I just want to punch him, "Legacy?" ARE YOU SERIOUS SHEPARD? She spent the ENTIRE second game explaining this to you you insensitive ass. I know it was for the people who hadn't played the 2nd game or who didn't get to know her well enough, but honestly Miranda would have been annoyed.

Anywho, I feel bad that this has been so much game speak, I've got plaaaaaaans though, I promise. Soon there shall be nothing like that at all! Whooo!

Also Kai Leng is a little shit, that is all.

* * *

Though she was doing her best to remain calm, Miranda couldn't help but pace the length of the shabby room she had rented as she waited for Shepard to start up her end of the call. They had been in rushed contact since the attack on the Citadel, but that didn't ease her mind any. There was so much going on all over the universe and Miranda felt so detached from all of it, she wasn't doing well with not having access to all of the information she used to. Sometimes she hated how easy it was to look back at her time in Cerberus with a certain degree of fondness, she needed to move on.

Miranda was thankful for the distraction when finally a message from Shepard was on its way through to her, and she accepted it immediately.

"Shepard," Miranda let out a sigh of relief, "Thank god you're all right."

The woman offered a small smile, "I'm fine."

She looked worse than when they had met on the Citadel, Miranda noted, tired and almost sluggish. There was a great sadness about Shepard, one that Miranda was too scared to inquire about.

"I'm sorry," was all she could offer, "I wanted to see you in person…" Miranda trailed off, unsure of what to say.

Shepard shrugged, "its better this way, the Citadel is a mess right now."

Miranda shifted her weight from leg to leg, struggling to find words that wouldn't come off as too cold, "It sounds like it. I heard about the attempted coup."

Shepard leaned forward on the railing in front of her Spectre terminal. She hated talking to Miranda in here. It was bad enough all she had was a hologram, but on top of that the room felt so foreign and impersonal. More than anything she wanted to be in her own cabin, Miranda safely by her side.

"Yeah," she paused at the bitter memory of half defeat that came with the assassin's escape, "with Kai Leng's help Udina nearly seized control."

Miranda's heart leapt into her throat, "Kai Leng? That slippery bastard is still alive?"

Shepard tilted her head to the side questioningly, "You knew him?"

Gaze falling to the floor, Miranda scratched at her collar in obvious discomfort, "More closely than I would have liked."

Deciding instantly that she didn't want to know what that meant, Shepard pulled away from the railing and let out a tired sigh, "Well he's alive, and right in the middle of all this."

"That complicates things," Miranda said, annoyance clearly creeping through in her words.

If the Illusive Man had turned to Kai Leng after her desertion then they were all in for some trouble. It was obvious that her father was responsible for Oriana's disappearance, and that somehow it was all connected to Cerberus, she was just waiting on a location from her sources. Now it was clear she would have to deal with Kai Leng sooner or later.

"Why, what's that have to do with you?" glaring at Miranda in her frustration, Shepard seemed to be almost daring the woman to blow off her questions again.

Miranda held fast, "Don't worry about it, I'm just going to be on my guard."

Shepard shook her head, "No, what's going on?" She looked distraught, "Please, Miranda. Please just tell me something."

"Look, I don't have much time…" she trailed off, Shepard looked so anxious; distressed in a way Miranda had never seen her before. Something had definitely happened since they had last met, something major. A stab of guilt striking through her body at the thought that she was making this harder on the woman, Miranda reluctantly gave her a few of the details.

"I learned what happened to my sister."

Shepard took a step forward and glanced at the ground in an effort to hide the excitement bubbling inside her, the sooner this was over, the sooner she got Miranda back and knew that Oriana was safe, "where is she?"

"I don't know that yet," Miranda admitted resentfully, "but my father was definitely responsible. If he's done anything to her, I'll kill him."

Head shooting up in surprise, Shepard gave the woman a warning look, "Miranda…"

"Shepard, listen," Miranda quickly continued, not looking for a lecture about moral standings, "I'm being hunted by Cerberus assassins," she hesitated, "a lot of them. I need to stay out of sight."

Body flooding with heated anger at the thought of the Illusive Man having orchestrated all of this, Shepard leaned forward to once again grip the railing and keep it in control, "Why?"

Miranda shook her head, "I heard a rumor, maybe more, that my father is working on something for the Illusive Man," She glanced away for a moment, "Something big." She hated dragging Shepard deeper into this mess, but this could potentially become something too much for her to handle, something that could affect a lot of people.

"Why would your father be working for the Illusive Man, especially now?"

"Shepard, you know how ruthless my father is about preserving his legacy, he has an obsession with making a mark on history."

Nodding in understanding, Shepard replied, clearly aggravated, "So you think the Illusive Man made him an offer." It wasn't a question.

"Exactly."

Her old XO had an air about her that Shepard hadn't felt in a long time, one that had disappeared with the tense exchanges of their early meetings. She didn't like seeing this Miranda rearing her head again, and she certainly wouldn't stand for the Illusive Man and the woman's own father dragging her back into her old ways. She refused to lose Miranda to this, she wouldn't accept it.

Shepard stood up to her full height, ready for action, "Whatever is going on with your father can't be good, we have to figure this out."

Miranda had the urge to smile at her old commander's words, "I agree, but," she faltered briefly, "I need to do this myself." She glanced away from Shepard again, embarrassed, "It's time I stopped running from him."

Shaking her head vigorously, Shepard pressed her, "Okay, I get that, but why does standing up to him mean being alone? Let me help you, Miranda, the Normandy is the safest place from Cerberus. We'll find her, together; I'll take you wherever you need to go."

With a pained smile Miranda responded instantly, "I know you would, Shepard. That's why I can't. You have other responsibilities; so much of this war is riding on you."

Shepard pulled away, "Stop it, the galaxy is coming together to fight as one. I'm just one soldier in an army of all different races, I'm nothing special, and helping you won't change a thing."

Miranda let out a humorless laugh, "I think we both know that's not true."

"Please," Miranda was a bit taken aback at the hint of desperation in Shepard's voice, "just come with me. I can't stand this, I can't lose anyone else."

It felt like a punch to the gut as the realization swept over Miranda that somebody aboard the Normandy had passed away. Finally the inevitable had happened, and Shepard had lost one of her crew, one of the few in the family that she had created, to the Reapers.

"All this time everything has been for strangers I'll never meet. Please, let me help you, let me do this. For once in my life, let me be selfish."

Miranda chewed anxiously on her bottom lip, "Shepard, stop. Nothing is going to happen. I'll keep in touch, and figure out a way to help you with the Reapers as soon as Ori is safe."

Shepard threw her arms up in frustration, "And what happens when the Illusive Man figures out what you're up to or where you are or how to-" her voice wavered and she shook her head to banish the thought, "If things go wrong, if something happens, what do I have then? What am I left with? You can't be like this any longer, Miranda, you're not just hurting yourself anymore."

Never in her life had Miranda felt as disconcerting a feeling as the one that flooded her veins in that moment, an intense warring between wrath and adoration. It was as though two halves of herself were struggling with one another, the indignation at being told how to behave getting crushed down by the warmth of being considered a necessary presence. She wished that just once she could have the upper hand against Shepard in situations like this.

"Shepard," she managed to get out after a short silence, hating the fact that she'd have to be cruel, "you know your job, and I know mine. For once, you can't help somebody; you need to deal with that and move on to your real obligations."

Shepard stared at her in shock for a moment, before turning away almost violently, "Fine, whatever you want then."

Miranda crossed her arms protectively in front of her chest, Shepard couldn't even look at her, "I'm sorry," she hesitated, "but I think you know I'm right."

Letting out a bitter laugh, Shepard shrugged, "Sure."

They stood silently together then, each not looking at the other, before Miranda finally let out a sigh, "Okay, well I guess I better get going."

Shepard still refused to meet her gaze, so Miranda moved to end the call, "Goodbye, Shepard."

It seemed like she wasn't going to answer for a moment, and then suddenly their eyes were locked, "Be careful."

Miranda shook her head sadly, "You know I can't promise that, Shepard. Could you?"

For a split second, Miranda thought that Shepard might start laughing, shoot out a quick quip like she had so often done in the past, but it was a fleeting thought. The Shepard standing there in that room wasn't the same woman she once was. Whoever Shepard had lost, it had deeply affected her, and though Miranda didn't know if she had the strength right then to find out who it was, she knew that someday very soon they would need to have a discussion about it. The commander of the Normandy was crumbling before their very eyes, and somebody had to put a stop to it before the Reapers destroyed them all.

"No," Shepard responded with a voice devoid of any real emotion, "I couldn't."

Miranda watched her silently for a moment, and then her image dissolved in the blink of an eye.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: You knock that off, Lycan. You're going to make me blush.

* * *

It was an odd feeling, knowing that everything was soon coming to a close. Miranda had a lead on Oriana's location, one of the most trustworthy pieces of information she had received since the whole debacle had started. She hated having to do it, but with a little help from Shepard, this nightmare would be over. The final trick was getting Shepard's help without having to reveal where it was Miranda was going. It wouldn't be an easy task, considering that they hadn't last parted on the best of terms.

The funny thing was, though they had argued and Shepard was clearly agitated with her, Miranda couldn't picture the woman denying her any sort of aid. She had never had a relationship like that with anyone before. Every ounce of Miranda's faith was put into Shepard, and though it should have, that didn't make her nervous at all.

What did make her nervous was that Shepard was on the way to meet her right that minute, this time in person. Miranda had planned something to say as a peace offering after their last meeting that had fallen into shambles, a thing that had been weighing heavily on her mind since before their attack on the Collector base, but she had always kept a secret. Perhaps, sucking up her pride and facing her fears would help clear the air between the two of them. She didn't know if she could possibly go to her death and try to rescue her sister while knowing Shepard was upset with her.

At the same time, what she wanted to discuss was an important issue to Miranda, a genuine concern. If she was going to let this out, she didn't want it to be as a tool to get what she wanted. Nor did she want Shepard to feel like she was being manipulated. She would have to ask for the assistance she needed first, then, if Shepard let her, say what she needed to admit.

Miranda was lost in her thoughts about how messy personal connections were, when Shepard came barreling through the door of the tiny apartment. The commander had been planning to make a huffy entrance, bursting through the doors and putting on a good show of how frustrating Miranda was being, but softened as soon as she laid eyes on the woman.

All she really wanted was to hug Miranda. Well, maybe also to knock her out and tie her up in the Normandy so that she couldn't escape and would have to stop being all selfless and goddamn noble, but the hugging thing was good too.

Fighting the urge to piss Miranda off with any dramatic displays of physical affection, Shepard lingered by the door and tried to sound nonchalant, "I got your message, Miranda. Is this about your sister?"

Miranda crossed her arms, hiding behind professionalism until she worked up her courage, "Shepard, I need access to Alliance resources," she hesitated, and her eyes fell to the floor, "I can't say anymore. You'll just have to trust me."

It was all Shepard could do to keep from from punching the wall, good god she couldn't wait until this was over, it was infuriating. She took a deep breath to calm herself before stepping closer to the woman, "I don't like secrets, Miranda. Just tell me what's going on."

Miranda had to give Shepard credit, she couldn't believe she was still calmly asking for information, and more than anything she wished she could give it, "I can't Shepard," she still couldn't bring herself to look up, "If that's a problem, I'll go."

"No, don't," Shepard was moving closer now, an almost wild look of panic in her eyes, "please, just stay. Stay with me, just for a little while."

It physically pained Miranda to know she was tormenting Shepard so, she had been keeping secrets all of her life and it had never once felt like this before. She was going to say something, anything, but Shepard wasn't done.

"You'll have your access, Miranda. Anything you need, it's yours. Just please, tell me whatever insignificant things you can. Stay for as long as you're able."

Miranda's resolve wavered a bit; she could get away with so much right then. Shepard would stay with her, she wasn't angry. They could talk the day away together, content to just be. It would be a far cry from the life she had been living, a mini vacation.

And yet, she stood before Shepard knowing she had to say what she had been planning the entire previous night. She would have to face anger and resentment, possible rejection, because she had to own up to the person she once was.

"Okay."

Shepard's demeanor visibly brightened, as her face relaxed a bit and she headed towards the couch. It wasn't long before she was sitting comfortably, patting the space beside herself for Miranda to join her.

"Shepard," Miranda started nervously, refusing to sit down, "I need to tell you something, confess really."

Interest provoked, Shepard gave Miranda her full attention. That is until she caught sight of the bed across the room and remembered that it had been over six months since she had been completely alone with the woman. She shifted a bit in her seat, hoping whatever Miranda had to say could be said while lying down.

"It's been eating away at me," Miranda continued, making Shepard feel somewhat guilty at her less than pure thoughts.

She gestured one again for Miranda to come closer, but she wouldn't budge, obviously determined to get out what she felt she needed to say, "When I headed the Lazarus Project to rebuild you," she let out a deep breath, "I wanted to implant a control chip in you as a safeguard."

Shepard cocked her head to the side, confused, "Yeah, we talked about this a long time ago, Miranda, like the first day after I woke up. What's the problem?"

Miranda shook her head sadly, and then turned away from Shepard, unable to look at her any longer, "There's more to it. You weren't saved by a crisis of conscience; it was the Illusive Man who stopped me."

Now standing, Shepard moved over to where Miranda stood, still turned away, "You told me that too," she remembered with a laugh, "I think you were trying to scare me off from bothering you so much."

Miranda rolled her eyes; leave it to Shepard to make this more difficult than it already was, "What I'm trying to say is that he was the one that wanted you to be the real Commander Shepard, not just some mindless slave that obeyed orders. I," she paused, clearly troubled, "I was the one who had come up with the idea, I pushed for it. I've never had to deal with that many black boxes on a project before, Shepard, I felt blind. The only reason I didn't go through with it is because of him, he saved you from me."

Shepard laughed as she stepped up to Miranda's back from behind, "I'm sure he's kicking himself for that decision. Why are you bringing this up now?"

As she snaked her arms slowly around Miranda's waist, the woman stiffened visibly, but didn't pull away. Shepard was being maddening; she wasn't trying at all to understand.

"I fought against my father and his need to run every aspect of my life. He wanted total control over me, right down to my bloody DNA. After I got out of there, I couldn't stand by and let it happen to my sister. I risked my life to get her away from all of that," Miranda wavered, glad she wasn't facing Shepard for this, but was still allowed the comforting presence of her touch, "yet I didn't give a second thought to destroying your free will when I had the power."

Shepard took a moment to marvel at the woman in her arms, a surge of pride flooded through her at how far Miranda had come without realizing it, and she leaned forward to place a gentle kiss on the exposed skin of her neck. She smiled into her as Miranda involuntarily shivered at the contact, trying to think of just the right thing to say to drive the woman insane.

"The heartwarming confession and self deprecation is cute and all," She finally replied with a grin, "But we have more important matters at hand, like Reapers, assassins, and empty beds."

That seemed to do the trick, as Miranda had turned her head to glare back at the commander, "Shepard, I'm being serious."

Shepard raised her eyebrows mischievously, "and you doubt that I am?"

Despite herself, Miranda let out a small laugh and turned in Shepard's embrace so that they were standing face to face, "I was trying to be good, you know."

Shepard held Miranda more tightly to herself, pleased that for once one of their meetings seemed to be turning in her favor, "I seem to recall that in the past most of our emotional breakthroughs occurred while you were naked, Miss Lawson, and that's a trend I'd hate to break."


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Ahhh, finally a chance to stretch my legs a bit. I enjoy the wee fun chapters.

And nice catch, ChocolateTruffles. I'm always letting the little ones slip past, it shall be corrected. :)

* * *

"I'm sorry," Miranda mumbled awkwardly into Shepard's neck, not quite sure what one did say in a situation like this.

"Me too," Shepard responded in an unsteady tone, clearly fighting to hold back tears.

There was silence then, and Miranda fervently wished something would come to her, something that normal people would say to one another at times like these. Though she hadn't formed a strong connection with the two personally, her heart ached at the description of Mordin and Thane's sacrifices. The weight of their deaths was clearly taking a toll on Shepard, one that was near crippling, and there was no real way for Miranda to ease the burden.

It hadn't been said, but it was quite obvious that Shepard felt guilty. Her recounting of events were clipped and heated, often hinting at the idea that Shepard believed she could have changed the outcome in some way. If only she had been faster, or stronger, or smarter, those were the phrases being repeated in her tales. They were the most troubling parts for Miranda to hear, if anyone was going to personally take the blame for each life lost in this war it would be Shepard, and that had to stop.

As Shepard lay motionless on her back, staring blankly up at the ceiling, Miranda cursed herself for not possessing the calming aura of Liara, or the encouraging humor of Garrus. She hated herself for only being able to stumble out awkward reassurances and hope that Shepard's other connections were doing the job properly when she returned to the Normandy.

In frustration at her own incompetence, Miranda curled farther into Shepard's side, causing the commander to snap out of her pensive reflection and glance down at her, "You okay?"

Miranda scoffed, she was so bad at this that Shepard was the one comforting her, "Yes, sorry, I just…I'm sorry there's nothing I can do for you."

Shepard turned herself on to her side so that she faced Miranda, gently resting their foreheads together as she always used to so long ago, "Just stay with me, for as long as you can."

"Okay."

* * *

It was an unintelligent decision to spend the night, but Miranda found herself doing so anyways. It was an even less intelligent decision to spend the entire night wide awake, whispering through the dark, but she just couldn't help herself. She relished in every second of Shepard's company as they found themselves chatting about the past, the future, and all of the bits in between.

There was an overwhelming sense of hope in their hushed conversation, and a noticeable lack of anything truly serious being said. For once in her life, Miranda was content to let things be as they were. She would go after Oriana when morning came with determination and purpose, just as Shepard would return to the Normandy, but for the moment, the night was theirs.

"Wow, I guess I am pretty bad," Shepard said with a laugh, running a hand through her hair, "I had no idea until she said something."

Miranda rolled her eyes, "of course you didn't."

"It's true!" Shepard defended herself earnestly, shifting onto her back so she could rest her hands behind her head comfortably, "that's it though. After Shiala that was it."

With a scoff, Miranda rolled onto her back as well, playfully mimicking Shepard's position, "Whatever you say." She didn't continue until Shepard had flashed her a sideways glance, "I'm just saying, even though I was hardly around often while the two of you were speaking, it didn't seem as though Kelly minded some extra attention."

Shepard broke out into laughter, rolling onto her side and propping herself up on one elbow, "Come on, Kelly doesn't count. She's," Shepard paused, looking for the right word, "Kelly."

Miranda smiled, "I supposed that's true. Anyhow, we've diverted from the proper topic. I think we've more than proven how oblivious you can be."

Practically pouting, Shepard let her head fall to the pillow with a thud, "You don't have to say it like you've supported a hypothesis."

Biting back a laugh, Miranda turned to face the woman, "My apologies, Shepard."

The commander sniffed in indignation, "You know, I don't really think you mean that."

* * *

Miranda was vaguely aware that it was sometime past three in the morning, but that fact quickly slipped away from her as Shepard set about her work at a most insistent pace. Gripping the sheets beneath herself tightly, Miranda tried to focus her thoughts. She had been telling Shepard something important hadn't she? Something Shepard obviously didn't want to hear.

It was something they needed to do, Miranda reasoned as she squirmed under Shepard's ministrations. Something so simple, it was on the tip of her tongue, but oh god who even cared because how had she forgotten what this was like? How had she lasted so long away from these nights?

Time, it had something to do with time. Two something time. No, three. Three. Time. Three o'clock, that was it, they really should be sleeping. She had grasped it for a second, and then it was as if it never had mattered because she was over the edge in an instant, euphoria flooding through her system to the very core.

Suddenly, Shepard's head was resting on her stomach, a mischievous smile gracing her lips, "Were you saying something?"

Miranda glared down at her, trying to regain control of her breathing, "I was saying," she gasped, "we need to be well rested, we can't-"

But her words were in vain, as Shepard's head disappeared in a flash, and she couldn't quite remember just what time it was anyhow.

* * *

"I can't believe you remembered that."

"Do you know how long I had to wait to find out? Six months, Miranda. Six months of sitting on my ass staring at the walls."

"I thought you looked a little more round about the edges."

"Very cute, now tell me."

"It was nothing Shepard, Tali just had some questions."

"About?"

"Nothing important, Shepard."

"Heeeeey, you promised."

"Fine, just about Garrus."

"Hah! I knew it!...wait…"

"Oh god, what now?"

"Why didn't she come and talk to me?"

"…I don't know Shepard. She just didn't."

"What are you hiding?"

"Nothing!"

"Fine. I guess she must have just been drawn in by your warm and inviting manner then."

"I hate you."

* * *

The first few rays of light were trickling in through the window, and of course it was then that Miranda felt her eyelids begin to grow heavy. They fluttered a few times, and she ineffectively tried to shake it off, but exhaustion was quickly consuming her.

Shepard shook her shoulder lightly when she noticed this, a guilty grimace on her face, "Hey, you can't be going to sleep when it's time to wake up."

"Mmmmgh," was Miranda's only reply as she slapped the offending hand away. She moved so that she was flat on her stomach, face buried in her pillow quite gracelessly.

With a laugh, Shepard sat up quickly, "Come on, we should get dressed."

"Noooo," Miranda's arm had shot out to pull Shepard back down to her level.

"Hey," Shepard glared at Miranda from where she now lay, pinned down beside that woman, "we can't stay here."

"Yes we can," came a sing-song reply.

Shepard chuckled, and leaned forward to plant a quick kiss on the back of Miranda's head, "So we're going to stay in here forever?"

"Mmmhmm," Miranda hummed in response.

"Okay, but can I get rid of the Reapers first?"

There was a pause, and then reluctantly, "Mmmhmm."

"And take down Cerberus?"

"Mmmhmm."

"And create galactic wide peace between all sentient life forms?"

"Mmmhmm."

"And join you to rescue Oriana from the clutches of doom?"

"Mmm-" Miranda's head was finally lifted as she shot Shepard an icy glare, "nice try."

Shepard sat on the bed, arms crossed, pout plastered across her face, "It was worth a shot."


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: pulled away from being so Miranda centric in some parts of this chapter just to see how things played out. Hmmm, now that I've finished it I think I enjoy being in her head more than Shepard's. Ah, well.

* * *

Despite all of Miranda's attempts at evasiveness and refusal for any true personal aid, somehow Shepard still found herself facing Henry Lawson down the barrel of a pistol. To describe Shepard as annoyed was putting it mildly; a certain someone was going to receive an earful after this mess.

"Shepard," Miranda gasped out in a ragged breath from her position on the floor.

Oh was she glad Miranda was alive, now she had the chance to kill her herself.

"Commander Shepard, excellent timing."

Shepard glared at the man over the top of her gun, moving at a slow and deliberate pace so as not to spook him. Henry Lawson held his youngest daughter tightly to himself, clearly intending to use her as a shield against any attack.

"Put the gun down." Shepard said in response. Garrus and EDI moved forward to flank her on either side, each with their weapons trained on Henry.

Watching them carefully, he took a tentative step back towards the window behind him, dragging Oriana with him roughly, "No. Oriana tried to shoot me. Miranda's poisonous influence no doubt."

Shepard smirked at the obvious disdain in his voice, proud of Miranda for having irked him so, "I'm sorry she missed." Her eyes darted quickly about the room, "Where's Kai Leng?"

"I don't know, gone." The man growled, "He took my research and left us here to die."

Having lost interest as soon as she heard the word gone, Shepard's focus soon fell on Miranda. She could only see the top of her head sticking up from behind the desk the woman was leaning against, and for that she was grateful. Shepard needed to focus, and based on the haggard breathing she could hear, that wouldn't be easy if she could properly see Miranda.

"Miranda, can you hear me?"

There was a raspy cough, "Obviously."

A smirk spreading broadly across her face, Shepard nodded, "Right, stupid question."

"I wouldn't expect anything different," Miranda's voice was pained, but laced with mirth. Out of the corner of her eye, Shepard saw her head bobbling about behind the desk as if she was trying, and failing, at rising to her feet.

Henry looked furious, "That's enough, both of you!" He seemed to hold Oriana tighter, causing her to squirm a bit under his arm in discomfort, "The Illusive Man told me all about you two, I guess I'm not surprised. You really were a failure, Miranda, in every respect," He smirked, pointing the nozzle of his pistol at his fallen daughter, "Kai Leng didn't finish the job, but I will."

Immediately, Shepard was a step closer, trigger finger itching in anticipation, "This ends here."

"On the contrary, now that the Reapers are taken care of, we have a way out." Henry spat out in false confidence, used to being able to bluff his way out of most any situation in the rare cases when money wasn't the solution.

"You've got nowhere to run to, you're surrounded," Shepard said with a shake of her head, "Let her go."

Finally, Miranda had been able to shakily rise to unsteady leg, "Shepard, don't let him take her." Her voice was so different from what the commander was used to hearing, full of anxiety and desperation.

"Shepard, please." Oriana begged from her father's grasp.

Resolve strengthened, Shepard motioned for her squad mates to move closer, "I have no problem with you. I just want Oriana and the research data."

Henry scoffed, "You want a lot."

Though she was a bit taken aback by how much of Miranda she could feel in that action, Shepard didn't let herself appear outwardly fazed, "You get your life in return. How much is that worth?"

Miranda glared at her father, swaying a bit as her brain desperately fought against unconsciousness. She had waited for so long, no matter how much pain she was in, she wouldn't miss this opportunity. Her eyes followed her father's movement closely as he spoke, probing for the right moment.

Henry dropped his arm, "Alright, take her," he conceded while pushing the young girl onto the floor in front of him, "but I want out alive, deal?"

Fists radiating with biotic energy, Miranda poured the last of her energy into one final burst, sending her father reeling through the window behind him. All four spectators stood in silent shock as they listened to the man's screams grow fainter and fainter until he met his end, "No deal."

The last reserves of her strength left her, and Miranda fell to the floor exhausted, quickly slipping into darkness.

* * *

"Shepard?" Miranda coughed out weakly as she felt herself being shoved about roughly. The pounding of her head, the fiery burning blazing her way mercilessly across her abdomen, she was sure the pain alone was going to kill her. She wanted to scream, to annihilate the one putting her through this torture, but when her eyes fluttered open, all she could see was the bottom of Shepard's chin.

And the pain dulled for a moment as an overwhelming feeling of relief washed over Miranda. She was with Shepard now, safe. It was done. Everything would be okay from then on.

Oh but why did it hurt so badly?

Shepard was trying her hardest not to look at the blood; she just focused on getting back to the shuttle as fast as possible, while attempting not to jostle Miranda too much at the same time. Garrus was leading them out with Oriana at his side, while EDI had stayed back to collect what data she could. Now, more than ever, Shepard was ready to hunt down Cerberus. She was ready to take down the Illusive Man. And more than anything, she was ready to finish off Kai Leng once and for all.

Miranda gritted her teeth, trying to focus her thoughts. There was something important she had to say now, she wasn't going to make it, she couldn't wait.

She had to tell Shepard before it was too late, "Shepard, before Kai Leng left-"

"Tell me about it later, Miranda." Shepard cut in, quickening her pace.

"Shepard…" Miranda sighed out breathlessly, knowing where this was going.

"Oh knock it off before you embarrass yourself," Shepard said with a teasing smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"I don't think-"

"You will."

* * *

Oriana watched from beside Miranda's bed in the med bay as Chakwas and Shepard had a hushed conversation on the other side of the room. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but their expressions were making her nervous, and so she found her gaze slipping down to the sleeping woman resting next to her.

Suddenly Miranda's face had scrunched up in pain, and she shifted a bit in the bed. Oriana leaned over her, gently brushing back her unusually messy hair.

"Miranda?" She asked softly as her sister's eyes fluttered open, "Oh Miranda I'm sorry."

Miranda's eyes seemed to be having trouble focusing on Oriana, but eventually she seemed to be able to comprehend where she was and who she was speaking to. "Shhh." Miranda breathed out, her voice barely audible, "Listen to me…"

"Miranda, you shouldn't talk, just rest," Oriana said gently as she grasped the hand that Miranda was feebly reaching over with.

"No," Miranda gasped, "I need to…Listen. I wanted you…" She paused, trying to catch her breath, "to have a normal life. Marriage. Children. Things I could never have."

"I know…" Oriana responded while trying ineffectively to hold back her tears with a sniff, "I just wanted my sister."

Miranda had a strange expression on her face, before her eyes started falling closed once more, "I love you, Ori."

"I love you, too."

* * *

Chakwas wiped her hands on the rag that had been resting on the table beside her, pleased with her effort. It wasn't bad work for an old codger like herself, especially considering it was a rush job. Add in Shepard's consistent hovering and accusing glares and she had damn well near pulled off a miracle.

Miranda was lying on the table, unconscious still, but breathing steadily. After placing a gown over the woman to protect her modesty, Chakwas motioned for Shepard to move from where she was leaning against the wall brooding and help gently carry Miranda back into a bed.

When she was settled in what they hoped was a comfortable position, Shepard attempted to move the gown aside and take a look at what she expected had been a ghastly wound along Miranda's stomach. She didn't get very far though as Chakwas immediately slapped her hand away.

"You leave that poor woman alone, she needs rest."

Shepard resisted the urge to pout as she plopped herself down on the bed next to Miranda's, "I wasn't going to touch it."

Chakwas gave her a warning glare and started to clean up, "Stay if you want, but I don't want to hear one peep out of you."

Shepard crossed her arms in defiance, but eventually nodded.

* * *

Miranda's eyelids fluttered a few times as she tried to adjust to the blinding light of the med bay. She struggled to push herself up, but her body felt heavy and mostly unresponsive.

"Hey, there."

Shepard's voice cutting through the silence of the room was startling, and Miranda winced after turning her head a bit too quickly. The commander gave her a sympathetic smile along with a small wave from where she sat on the hospital bed next to Miranda's, legs swinging childishly over the ground.

"Hi," Miranda croaked out, wincing at how rough her throat felt.

With a laugh, Shepard pointed at the table next to Miranda's bed, "We left some water over there for you."

Slowly, Miranda managed to drag her body up the pillows behind her head, getting enough height to drink comfortably. Though her throat instantly softened at the cool liquid, easing her discomfort some, the rest of her body was more than making up for it. There was a deep throbbing in every one of her limbs, pounding throughout her body in a steady rhythm.

"It's not that creepy, you know," Shepard said while scratching the back of her head self-consciously.

Miranda shot her a curious glance.

"I mean, I wasn't just sitting here the whole time, promise. Chakwas just needed some dinner so I took over the watch."

Miranda regretted the painful laugh as soon as it bubbled up out of her, "I don't even know how long I was out for."

Shepard shrugged, "A few hours. You didn't miss much."

Suddenly, Miranda shot up into a sitting position, easily ignoring the pain wrenching through her in her desperation, "Ori, where is she?"

Shepard jumped to the floor, "Woah, take it easy," She place her hands on Miranda's shoulders and gently guided her back down onto the bed, "She's fine, you saved her, Miri. She's on the Normandy, and you really need to stop moving around so much."

Miranda breathed a sigh of relief, letting Shepard direct her, "where is she now?"

"Actually," Shepard said with a smirk, "I think she may have a little crush on Liara," She hesitated, "Or at least on her computers. She's hardly come out of your old cabin at all."

"Oh!" Miranda, much to Shepard's frustration, had shot up once again.

"You've really got to stop that." She said with a groan.

"Shepard, you have to hurry. Kai Leng, I planted a trace on him. Quickly, bring me my things, we wasted enough time already."

"Yes, life-saving, so wasteful." Shepard said with a roll of her eyes, though she did as she was bid and fetched the items Chakwas had stripped off of Miranda just a few hours earlier.

Miranda rummaged through the pile of bloodstained clothing that Shepard held in front of her frantically. Finally she paused, holding up a small receiver triumphantly, "Here, see?," She waved it in Shepard's face, "Have EDI lock onto him with this. There may still be time."

"Did you get that EDI?" Shepard called into the empty room. When the AI answered in the affirmative, she grinned, "Wow, Miranda, you thought of everything."

If Shepard didn't know any better, she'd say Miranda looked almost bashful, "Not everything. Nobody's perfect."

Shepard laughed, and gave her a mock glare, "You do realize you are in an insane amount of trouble, right?"

Miranda scoffed, "You can't touch me, I'm an invalid."

And with that it was as if an enormous weight had been lifted off of Shepard's chest. Miranda was there, on her ship, one hundred percent alive. She was suddenly stricken with the notion that more than anything she wanted to be able to see Miranda everyday for the rest of her life, and so maybe, just maybe, she might find the strength in herself to go kill those Reapers after all.

"We'll see."

* * *

"This is it, stay sharp everyone."

Shepard lead EDI and Liara into the Illusive Man's room cautiously, sure there would be some sort of trap somewhere. It was odd, seeing this place from the other side, not just being a visiting hologram. She headed towards the chair in the center of the otherwise barren room, that beautiful view was wasted on a man like him.

Rushing to the chair and taking a seat, Shepard immediately starting searching through the computer, "We need to locate the Prothean VI."

EDI stepped up to assist when the Illusive Man's figure appeared behind them, "Shepard, you're in my chair."

Shepard bit back a laugh as she stood up and turned to face him, pistol drawn, "This chair is just about the only damn thing you have left. Cerberus is finished."

"On the contrary,we have achieved everything I have ever imagined." He paused to take a drag on his cigarette, " Well, almost everything."

Trying to contain her anger, Shepard let her arms fall to her side, "We all saw what you accomplished on Sanctuary. But it's not that same as controlling a Reaper."

"A significant hurdle, but thanks to the Prothean VI, I have what I need to make it a reality."

"The Catalyst."

The Illusive Man nodded, a smug smile gracing his usually blank features, "Yes."

Shepard soon realized she was looking upon the face of a man who already knew he had won.

* * *

The conversation with the Illusive Man hadn't lasted long, and they now held the knowledge of what the Catalyst was. Liara shot Shepard a meaningful look. They had the information they needed, there was only one man standing in their way. They didn't have time to spare; the Reapers were capturing the Citadel at that very moment. Now was the time to make their escape.

Except Shepard had a bone to pick.

It was impossible to determine which of the two launched the first attack, but Liara watched helplessly as Shepard and Kai Leng engaged one another with an animal like ferocity.

* * *

Shepard stood over Kai Leng's fallen body, an unreadable expression on her face, before turning back towards the computer and heading for the Illusive Man's chair.

EDI and Liara watched her as she worked to get a message out to Hackett, not noticing the assassin's stealthy movements. Though his body was battered, he managed to drag himself up to his feet, limping towards Shepard, blade drawn.

She had heard him instantly. Even still, Shepard let him make his slow approach. Waiting, until he was confident, until the tip of his blade was hovering over the top of her skull, until he had believed victory was in his grasp, she turned and sunk her omniblade deep into his abdomen, "That was for Thane you son of a bitch."

With a flick of the wrist, the blade was gone, and Kai Leng fell to his knees gasping for air. She waited for him to fall to the ground, before crouching down beside him.

"Shepard," He wheezed, "no matter what…this is pointless…you've lost…"

Shepard cocked her head to the side, "You know, Leng, I think I pity you."

His dull eyes flicked up to meet hers.

"Even with all of those enhancements you still couldn't win, and they deserted you for it. You fought to die, and now what do you have? You're lying on a metal floor, all alone."

He coughed, blood spilling out from his lungs, determined to throw just one more hit in Shepard's direction, "Just like Miranda then, huh?"

To his chagrin a wide smiled spread across her face, "Oh you poor bastard." She gripped the collar of his uniform in one hand and pulled him up until his face was mere centimeters from her own, "She is so _very much_ alive."


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Sorry this took so long, just got back from a little weekend trip to Boston. As your reward here is a long chapter of pure goofy fun with a side of serious stuff.

So I took a few creative liberties on this one. This is what I wanted to say to the 'starchild', beside 'f-you' of course.

haha oh ChocolateTruffles, trust me I have a thousand and one drama filled imaginings involving Shepard and Miranda like that, I feel ya. However, I don't think I can supply you with the drama you are looking for, as this version of Shepard is quite confident in Miranda at this point. Shepard trusts Miranda a bit too much for that methinks, but perhaps that's something we can explore in another story someday? :)

* * *

They were only a few hours away from meeting up with Hackett at the crucible construction site. He had assured the crew of the Normandy that it would be ready by their arrival, though Shepard wasn't sure how much of that was wishful thinking on his part. It had been rough, having no real idea how their only hope of salvation was progressing all of this time. With all the uncertainties swirling about her mind, it was hard to wait patiently while traveling from point A to point B.

Luckily, Miranda was proving to be quite a proficient distraction. Shepard sat at the foot of her bed in the med bay, trying to impart her knowledge of the finer aspects of Skyllian Five to Oriana, who rested on a chair beside the cot.

"No. See, then I would just put this here and you'd be finished!"

Oriana's brow furrowed, "That completely contradicts what you said before. Are you just making up the rules as you go?"

Shepard smiled mischievously, "How could you accuse me of such a thing?"

With a sigh, Oriana threw what was left of her hand on the bed and stood up to stretch, "Uh-huh, call me when you want to play for real. I'll be back to see you in a bit, Miranda."

Clearly pouting, Shepard called after the girl as she left the room, "What? But I was winning."

Miranda smiled from behind the cup of warm tea she was nursing gently in her hands, "You'll live, I think."

"I wasn't cheating," Shepard reasoned as she began cleaning up the haphazard pile of cards resting on top of the blanket, "I was being _creative_."

"I know."

Shepard glanced at Miranda, glad at how much more relaxed the woman looked. Since Oriana had been rescued, she seemed to be more at ease than Shepard had ever seen her before. After placing the now collected cards on the table beside the bed, Shepard scooted up to take a peek under Miranda's gown at her bandaged midsection.

"Excuse me," Miranda said in mock offense, pushing the offending hand away.

"I just wasn't to see," Shepard whined.

"It's fine, Shepard," Miranda soothed, "let it be."

"You guys are just making me more nervous by not letting me look, you know."

Miranda rolled her eyes, "I'm up and talking, am I not? It's just not the most," she hesitated, "aesthetically pleasing sight."

Shepard crossed her arms, "You saw me after I got spaced! I probably looked like a hunk of ground beef."

Blanching, Miranda put her cup down on the table. "Don't say that," she admonished lightly.

The closer she had grown to Shepard, the less favorable those memories had become. Fondness for their commander had left the days as head of the Lazarus Project in a repressed haze, and were not often brought forward to be considered. Miranda shifted over to one side, leaving just enough room for Shepard to crawl over and squeeze in beside her. She found that memories such as the ones Shepard had just invoked usually called for the reassurance of immediate physical contact.

When Shepard had settled by her side, Miranda gently patted her stomach, "Honestly, at this point it's more itchy than painful."

Shepard let out a heavy sigh, "Well that's good news. You need to get better quickly so that I can be mad without feeling guilty."

Miranda crossed her arms loosely so as not to stress her wounds, "Great incentive."

"You're welcome," Shepard responded easily, and then she hesitated for a moment, as though contemplating something.

Miranda was not eager to hear just whatever it was Shepard was thinking about. There was only one major issue that had not been brought up as of yet, and she was not keen to discuss it just then, or ever really. There were some things not even Shepard could make okay.

And in that thought there was both a negative and encouraging factor. Though this was the disheartening event that could not be cured, it was the exception to the rule, no longer the guideline of her life. Where feelings of annoyance, isolation, and bitterness once superseded all others, there was change now. Not everything was perfectly satisfactory, nor did she ever expect it to be, but there was Shepard, and Shepard made things okay. In that, Miranda had peace.

"Do you want to talk about your father?"

"Not really."

There was a pause, as Shepard absorbed the answer she hadn't wanted to hear, and then, "Okay."

Miranda watched Shepard leaning forward to snatch the cards up once again, thrilled in her situation with this woman who seemed to know just how much she needed right when she needed it.

Perhaps, maybe someday, she would be able to convey her feelings about what she had done to the man who had created her out loud, but she was fully aware that could take quite a long time. For once in her life, Miranda was starting to believe that she had a person who would be willing to wait.

"Do you wanna see a magic trick?"

* * *

"Commander, you really must move so I can take a look."

"Wait no, hold on. It's gotta be this one."

"I'm sorry Shepard, no."

"Don't encourage her, Miranda."

"Wait, I can still get it!"

Losing her patience, Chakwas grabbed Shepard's arm and pulled her off the bed by force, "I'm serious, Commander."

Shepard stood close by still, shuffling through the cards in her hand frantically, "Wait, I was just doing a bit," she explained to Miranda quickly to save face, "It's obviously this one here." She said it with confidence, holding up the Queen of Spades in front of Miranda's face triumphantly.

Chakwas shot her a pleading look, and so Miranda placed a practiced smile on her face, feigning awe. "Right again, Shepard," She said enthusiastically while marveling at the fact that it was possible somebody could get it wrong sixteen times in a row.

As Shepard flashed a victorious grin at Chakwas, Miranda marveled at the woman. Just how was she able to get away with this? Shepard was being childish and inefficient, and somehow Miranda found it didn't bother her one bit.

"Congratulations, Shepard, I'm sure the Reapers will be dazzled. Now go stand in the corner over there so I can work in peace," Chakwas said sternly while shooing the woman away.

"I'll do ya one better, doc," Shepard said lightly, "I've gotta make a few rounds, there's some things we all need to sort out before we arrive."

Chakwas waved her away dismissively, glad to finally have some quiet.

* * *

She had been expecting Shepard or even Oriana when the doors opened about twenty minutes after Chakwas had re bandaged her and left, but instead, it was Tali who was approaching Miranda.

"Hi," They young Quarian offered quietly in way of greeting, clearly embarrassed.

"Hello, Tali," Miranda said as she gingerly sat up on the mattress, "what can I do for you?"

Tali moved forward slowly with sluggish movements, leaving Miranda to wonder if she had been drinking at all.

"I wanted to say something," her words were faintly slurred, "Liara told me what happened on Sanctuary. She told," She hiccuped, "she told me about your dad."

* * *

Miranda had been dozing in her med bay bed when Shepard came barreling through the doors, face flushed and breathing heavy, "Miranda you won't believe this!"

Eyes flying open, Miranda shot up and glanced around the room, on guard against whatever new danger was to come, "What's wrong?" She immediately regretted the movement as pain shot through her core, demanding her full attention.

Shepard walked towards her quickly, leaning over her with an alarmingly serious look gracing her features, "I totally just walked in on Garrus and Tali having a _moment."_

Miranda resisted the urge to hit her, "Get a life, Shepard, and stop meddling in their affairs." She tentatively settled back down through gritted teeth.

"I already have me all figured out. You've been wooed, I need a hobby," Shepard explained dismissively

Miranda's eyebrows shot up, "wooed?"

"Wait a minute," Shepard said, pointedly ignoring her, "you don't sound surprised at all, you sound bothered."

"Maybe because you _are_ bothering me," Miranda spat back, annoyed. She hadn't been _wooed; _this whole mess had happened without her consent thank you very much. A more accurate description was sabotage; she had most certainly been sabotaged.

"You knew this was going to happen," Shepard pointed and accusing finger at her, "You talked about this with Tali behind my back! Again!"

Rolling her eyes, Miranda finally found a comfortable position once more, "In my defense she was quite heavily intoxicated."

Shepard laughed, forgetting about her mock anger, "Yeah, I got to witness a bit of that."

"I just gave her a little nudge. I think," Miranda hesitated, they had been doing a good job of keeping the Reaper and end of all life talk to a minimum since they had been reunited, "I think the timing calls for it."

Moving to sit on the edge of the bed, Shepard tossed her a grin, "Playing matchmaker, Miss Lawson?"

Miranda closed her eyes, denying any sort of emotional attachment to the juvenile situation of first love, "More like trying to get everyone to leave me alone because I need sleep."

Shepard shook her head sadly, "No can do, EDI reported ETA is fifteen minutes."

Once again looking alert with eyes wide open, Miranda lay staring up at the ceiling of the med bay, a grimace gracing her beautiful features, "I'm sorry I'm not in better shape, Shepard."

With a sigh, Shepard responded quickly, "Oh stop, you act like everything is your fault personally. Even if you were in top shape, you should stay on Hackett's ship with Oriana anyways; the kid has been through enough as it is. You guys will just be in the midst of the fray if you stay here. Anyways," she added while waggling her eyebrows foolishly, "I know you've been dying to lay eyes on the Crucible."

Miranda looked away, embarrassed, "It hasn't even been on my mind to be honest."

"Sure," Shepard responded teasingly, but her playful attitude quickly diminished, "just be careful over there."

With a sigh, Miranda glanced back at the woman, They has already discussed this when Shepard had first charted the course, "There are ancient machines destroying their home planet, Shepard, I won't even be on their radar."

Shepard shook her head, clearly nervous, "But what if you are? Or what about afterwards? I know you, but they don't. Cerberus had done the Alliance a lot of wrong; they may not be too forgiving. Hackett is on my side, but-"

"We don't really have a choice," Miranda reminded her gently, "there's no time to take us anywhere else. We'll be fine, Shepard."

Groaning, Shepard crossed her arms, "I'd feel a whole lot more comfortable if I knew I could get back to you quickly when this is all over."

Before Miranda could respond, the doors opened and Chakwas had popped her head in, "I just wanted to make sure you didn't need anything else before you departed, Miranda."

Miranda offered her a small smile; it was nice how those were starting to come easier now, "I will be fine. Thank you for everything, Karin."

Shepard's mouth dropped open, "Miranda! You can't call Chakwas Karin! That's like," She faltered in her shock, trying desperately to find the right words, "that's like me calling Anderson David!"

Miranda stared at her blankly, trying to work out if she was joking or not.

Chakwas didn't have the same problem, "You're right, Shepard. Miranda calling somebody by their first name _is _like you calling somebody by their first name. Astounding."

"You're dismissed, Chakwas," Shepard shot back with an offended glare.

While Shepard sat fuming, Miranda was quickly trying to work out what she wanted to say. They only had so much time now, the thoughts she had been pushing to the darkest corners of her mind were starting to surface.

"Shepard," She started slowly, putting careful thought into her wording, "I want you to keep something in mind for me."

Shepard gave her a curious look, and Miranda continued, "I know you have been a huge factor in this war so far. I know you want to win this for Thane, Mordin, Legion, and every other person we've lost to this war, but I want you to remember you have an entire galaxy of soldiers at your back. This doesn't have to be something you work out alone; you don't have to be the selfless hero. Help them because you are you and that's what Shepard does, but you've done your part, keep in mind that the only thing left you have to give is your life."

Shepard looked away, clearly uncomfortable, but for once Miranda didn't even let her own self-consciousness stop her, "You've given them a far greater chance than anyone else in this universe could have, when you're out there, remember it's okay to take a step back."

Miranda never knew if Shepard would have responded, because suddenly Oriana was there, and there was talk of other, less significant things to be had. All Miranda received was a chaste kiss and a whispered 'see you later' while nobody was looking before she was escorted onto a ship full of strangers and Shepard was long gone.

* * *

"Shepard," Miranda stood with her arms crossed, glaring at the hologram of the woman in front of her, "I see you really took what I said to heart."

Glancing away, Shepard rubbed at the back of her neck in embarrassment, "I see you're feeling better."

Miranda's eyes narrowed, "Much."

Shepard offered a sly smile, "Good."

With reluctance, Miranda dropped the issue, there was too much at stake for her to waste time on bitterness, "Listen, Shepard, I" She paused, "I wanted to say goodbye."

Sounding somewhat alarmed, Shepard tilted her head to the side curiously, "what do you mean?"

"If we both come back from this at all," She faltered, not wanting to give voice to the fears she had been keeping at bay since day one.

There was always that little tickle in the back of her mind, the whisper of what once was. Everything could go perfectly for the universe, Shepard could survive, and yet she could find herself alone again. Having this, tasting what she hadn't even known she had been craving, and then reverting back into the emotional seclusion of the past…it was something she didn't know she could come back from. There had to be something Shepard could say, some promise that abandonment wasn't an option.

Finally, she managed to rush out, "everything will be different."

**_Always the coward._**

Shepard's face brightened, and she paced about in excited hope, "Sure. Everything will change, but on our terms. We've been running until now, Miranda," She flashed a confident smile in her direction, "it has to stop. We'll finish this here, today."

Sometimes Miranda desperately wished Shepard could read her mind; the point had been missed entirely.

Feeling foolish for worrying about personal issues at all, Miranda let the subject fall and merely nodded, "I understand, I just," She breathed, wishing she had the courage to say more, "wish I was there, with you."

"Me too," Shepard said with a grin that quickly faltered, "actually no, not really. It is pretty intense down here." She thought for a moment, "In the Normandy, would be nice, top floor," she raised her eyebrows suggestively.

Miranda rolled her eyes, almost hating how tempting that sounded right then. She glanced away after awhile, knowing that they didn't have much time left, and wishing she had the nerve to finish their conversation the way she wanted to.

"I don't know what to say," she had settled for an honest answer.

Shepard let out a small laugh, "Well don't say goodbye. No faith."

Miranda shook her head, "Then just finish this, Shepard, and find me."

Eyebrows knit together in confusion, Shepard sobered up quickly, "Of course I will, Miranda."

"I promise."

* * *

Shepard stared straight ahead into the warmth of the green beam. She wasn't going to turn into the Illusive Man, she couldn't betray EDI or the Geth, synthesis was the only option.

But then why did it feel so _wrong?_

Because it was changing people without their consent. It was 'rewriting the heretics' on a universal scale. This entire journey she had been trying to achieve peace between not just artificial and organic life, but _all _life. Not to toot her own horn, but goddamn it she was getting somewhere. These people wanted to listen, they wanted to try.

At the other end of the universe, right then, there were Geth and Quarians working together. Closer to home, Krogans were fighting beside Turians. The universe was changing every second, and it was the Reapers who didn't understand. There was only this cycle because they were the ones stuck in their ways, not the organics.

Shepard thought about her friends, about Miranda, what would they think was right? What would be their choice?

And it was pondering that, trying to capture Miranda's calculating intelligence that was so often perceived as cold indifference, that Shepard caught wind of something new. Something that had been hidden to her, "You don't want me to destroy or control you," she spoke slowly, working it out as she went along, "_you_ want synthesis. You want me to want synthesis."

The child looked at Shepard quizzically, and suddenly she was flooded with the horrible realization that this was an ancient powerful intelligence; one that had taken the form of a child to lull her into submission. They wanted her to feel comfortable.

"Synthesis will create the perfect being, one that is both synthetic and organic. Finally, your AI will understand you, and only through understanding will you achieve true peace."

**_Oh but I am on to you._**

"You're the only one who doesn't understand," Shepard tried her hardest to bite back a smile, did the child seem annoyed?

"I have this friend, a _machine_, named EDI, and she's one of the most human humans I've ever known. You won't improve her by forcing 'the organic' into her system; she does that herself, by asking questions and exploring her freedoms."

The child stared intently at her, oh it was definitely annoyed. For a moment Shepard felt exasperated with herself for listening to the leader of a race who thought the answer to chaos was to blow everyone up.

"I'm not going to force everyone into submission. To understand one another is their right, and privilege. Evolution, change, is the key to the universe, but it's gradual. Understanding, trust, those are things that are earned, not injected. We'll achieve your peace, on our own time;" She paused, thinking of her crew turned family, "I truly believe that with all of my organic heart."

As she set off down the path to the right, the child followed her, almost anxiously calling, "Shepard, that will destroy all synthetic life, not just the Reapers. This EDI you call friend, she will be obliterated."

Shepard paused on her journey, a smile gracing her lips, "Maybe, for a month or two at most. You see there's a few organics down there you've forgotten about. There's this one woman, who just a few years ago was given a hunk of smoldering flesh, and was told to make it into a functioning human being, complete with past memories and personality traits."

She turned her head to flash the child a grin, "I feel like she can reboot a few systems."

"You feel? Shepard, you would risk the genocide of all synthetic life based on an emotion?"

She kept moving forward in silence.

"Shepard you are partly synthetic, you too will receive the effects."

Jane Shepard arrived at the device and held up her pistol confidently, "This isn't about me, this is about all the peoples of this universe having the ability to prove you and your precious cycle wrong."

**_I'm sorry,_**

"I believe Tali will lead the Quarians to peace with the Geth. I believe Garrus and Wrex will mend the relationship between their species. I believe Mordin's sacrifice will redeem the Salarian in the eyes of the galaxy."

**_Miranda,_**

"And most of all I believe that Joker and EDI are going to spend the rest of his life together. EDI will be recreated and free, because if there is one thing in this entire galaxy I truly believe in, it's Miranda Lawson."

**_I lied. _**

She pulled the trigger, and fell into darkness.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Here we are, what I like to refer to as the Minimalist's Dialogue Epilogue. Let's end on a quiet note, shall we? :)

* * *

"What the hell happened up there?"

"I don't know, we can't reach her. Everything went dark."

"What about Anderson? Can you raise him?"

"No response, sir. But-"

"But?"

"We're getting reports about the Reapers, sir. They're just…collapsing."

"Well I'll be damned…She really did it."

* * *

"Check over there, no corner left untouched, Hackett's orders. Hurry up; we may not have much time."

"Nothing over here."

"Clear over here."

"Noth-wait! I've got movement."

"What?"

"Over here! Help me, I can't-"

"I've got it, ready? We lift on three. One. Two. Three."

"Jesus, I can't even tell…"

"Look! We've got her! It's Shepard! Raise Hackett. Hurry!"

"She's not breathing."

"She is, come on."

"We can't move her like this. Christ, what the hell happened?"

"Come on, we have to lift her out of here or she'll never make it."

"Fuck, where can we even touch her? There's nothing left, we're gonna kill her!"

"We get her out of here right now, that's an order!"

* * *

"Get her on the table, we can't waste anymore time."

"Somebody get that armor off of her."

"The suit is melted into her skin, sir. We need to get the saw."

"Jesus. Well hurry up, I'm not losing her to a clothing malfunction."

"Yes, sir. Come on people; pick up the pace a little here. Get her ready for debridement."

"Out of the way, I'm coming in there."

"Get out of here, lady. You don't have the proper jurisdiction."

"I said to move. Now."

* * *

For a week and a half Miranda was by Shepard's bedside, watching attentively as the woman drifted in and out of consciousness, never uttering one word. At times, their eyes would lock for just an instant, and Miranda was almost certain that Shepard recognized her presence. The moment would quickly pass though, Shepard's foggy eyes drifting shut once more, and Miranda would remember she was only seeing what she wanted to.

Friends, old crewmates, and even Alliance officers would trail in and out of the room as often as they were allowed to honor their injured savior, but Miranda was a constant. She sat in her chair by the window, absently observing the flurry of activity out on the streets below. Though she had never been one for religion, she found herself pleading to every otherworldly being she had ever learned about, urging them to allow Shepard to awaken.

At times, Miranda felt foolish and self-conscious as the various members of hospital staff wandered in to set about their work. There was so much she could be doing to help the survivors of this latest disaster, and yet there she sat, day after day. Sometimes, when the mood for self pity struck her, Miranda would lament her poor luck. Of course, of all the creatures in the universe, she had the misfortune of finding herself emotionally entangled with Commander Shepard, the most jeopardy friendly soldier in Alliance employment.

Her distress was relatively short lived however, because exactly ten days and sixteen hours after she had been found, Shepard's eyes fluttered open with more purpose than usual since the incident. Her head fell slowly to the right as she gazed directly at Miranda to offer a weak smile, eyes betraying the agony she was so clearly in.

"Shepard," Miranda breathed out in a whisper, her subconscious quieting her out of the irrational fear of scaring the woman back into unconsciousness.

Though her limbs were burning, her skin was tight, and the words rolled through her throat like fire, Shepard just couldn't help herself.

"Well look at that," she rasped out carefully, "_you _went ahead and found _me_."

* * *

Those were the golden years of the galaxy, that time after the Reaper invasion. Of course ruthlessness existed, some grudges were held intact, and not every neighbor was content to let others be, but it was a time looked back upon fondly by all races in the centuries that followed. It was rough for the first couple of years, as much needed to be rebuilt, but a sense of universal community drove every species forward as one.

There was a new chance to make things better, one that wouldn't be wasted, and for the rest of time, children throughout the galaxy fell asleep to tales of The Shepard, the greatest hero who had ever lived.

* * *

A/N: Whelp we've done it folks, tis the end of Mass Effect 3. Of course, I'm bursting with the desire to continue. However, I have mapped out some ideas in my mind, and it is only fair to warn you that I intend to spend the rest of my time with this pairing having fun and driving them mad. That said, for the more serious minded of you I'd say this is your last stop with me. For the goofy folk, I say we carry on and cause a little mayhem. Keep your eyes peeled for The Perfect Ending, it's on the way soon.

Thank you so much for all of your kind words, I cherish each and every review with all of my heart.


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